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Dear PHCC Family,
After 16 wonderful years, my time with the Cross Roads music team is coming to an end. It’s deeply important to me that you all understand that I did not come to this decision lightly and that the sole reason for my departure is my commitment to my family. In the last several years, I have allowed my volunteer commitments to take far too much of my time, and it’s my family that suffers the most. I’m rarely home on week nights, and we rarely eat together as a family. We had some health scares in my family this year as many of you know, and I think those events helped me come to this decision. I’m ready to let go of some of my commitments in order to spend more time at home with my family, as well as attend church and worship with them.
I was a part of Cross Roads’ inception more than 16 years ago; I formed the original lineup and rehearsed with them for several months before the inaugural Cross Roads service, just a couple weeks before my 30th birthday. Today I can say I have been a continuous member of the band for 16 years, and I’ve held the leadership role for roughly half that time. I’ve made amazing friends along the way, some still playing with me today, and other fond memories of what feel like different and wonderful eras of the band. I also don’t believe I would be the musician I am today without Cross Roads, and for that I’m eternally grateful. Without my role in this band, I don’t know that I would have continued my musical interests, and that would have been a tragedy; music is such an integral part of who I am today that I don’t know who or where I would be without it.
In my time with Cross Roads, I have always been treated with dignity, respect, kindness, and empathy by the members of the band, church leadership, and the congregation as a whole. My stepping down has nothing to do with any negative experience in my time here; and that’s why this is so bittersweet for me. My family and I will be taking some time away from PHCC to allow us and the Cross Roads service to find a new normal; I feel it will be difficult for us to have a normal family worship experience at Cross Roads for a while. So we are going to take the opportunity to worship with other churches in our area, and also some further away as we plan some weekend getaways - something that have been pretty rare for us for 16 years.
I leave you all in very loving, talented and capable hands with the Cross Roads Music Team at the end of August. I know you will be as wonderfully supportive of the praise team going forward as you have always been; they will be working to find their new normal too. I would say take good care of them for me, but I know you all will. And please don’t be strangers, our family would love to hear from you, and you can expect some post cards from us!
In Christ with love and respect,
Jeremy Clements
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